KATHMANDU: Stay informed with Nepal News’ daily evening briefing, covering the most significant developments from Nepal and around the world. From politics and economy to sports, entertainment, and culture, we bring you a concise summary of the day’s top stories.

PM Oli to Visit India on September 16 for Brief Two-Day Trip: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is set to visit India on Bhadra 31 (September 16) at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two-day official trip is expected to be Oli’s shortest visit to India so far. The Nepali delegation will depart for New Delhi on Bhadra 31 and return to Kathmandu the next day, Asoj 1 (September 17). The visit is not expected to feature major new agreements. Instead, the focus will be on strengthening bilateral relations, continuing previous understandings, and advancing a few new projects.

Bhandari Claims Talks With Oli Focused Only On National Politics, Not Party Membership: Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli held talks with former President Bidya Devi Bhandari at the party’s central office in Chyasal on Sunday afternoon. Following the meeting, Bhandari told reporters that their discussion centered on issues of national politics. When asked whether her party membership had been renewed, Bhandari said, “Let’s talk about that later. Today’s conversation with Chairman Oli was only about national political matters. You will be informed about other issues through the official channel.”

Shekhar Koirala Holds Discussions with His Faction’s Lawmakers Amid Political Tensions: Nepali Congress leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala held discussions with lawmakers from his faction on Sunday. The meeting took place at Hotel Yak and Yeti in Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, where Koirala’s loyalist MPs had gathered. Known for his vocal criticism of the government, Koirala engaged in talks with his faction’s lawmakers to deliberate on recent political developments. Lawmaker Hridayaram Thani confirmed that the discussion focused on the evolving political situation. “We discussed the latest political developments,” he stated.

RSP Leaders Visit Election Commission Over Delay in Updating Office-Bearer Changes: Leaders of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) have visited the Election Commission to express concern over the delay in updating changes to the party’s office-bearers. On Sunday, General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti, along with leaders from the party’s legal department, visited the Election Office located in Kantipath. The RSP leaders met with Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari and held discussions on the matter.

PM KP Sharma Oli Skips Parliamentary Committee Meeting on Human Rights Review: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was absent from a scheduled meeting of the parliamentary committee on Sunday. The Law, Justice, and Human Rights Committee under the House of Representatives had invited Prime Minister Oli to participate in a discussion regarding the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a global human rights assessment mechanism. Instead of attending in person, PM Oli delegated Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung to represent him at the meeting.

Deuba Calls for Proportional Inclusion Within First-Past-the-Post Electoral System: Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has emphasized the need for proportional representation within the first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system, arguing that the system is directly linked to the people. Speaking from his residence in Budhanilkantha on Sunday, Deuba made the remarks while receiving a memorandum from a delegation led by Bhakta Bishwakarma, Chairperson of the Nepal Voters’ Rights Forum. The delegation submitted recommendations for amending the draft bill prepared to revise and unify election-related laws.

Rajesh Ahiraj Arrested on Rape Charges, Five-Day Custody Extended: Rajesh Jha, also known as ‘Ahiraj’, who was appointed as the Chief of Madhesh Province during Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s tenure, has been arrested in connection with a rape case. He was taken into custody from Kathmandu on Sunday based on a complaint filed on Falgun 3, 2081 BS, according to Kathmandu District Police spokesperson SP Apilraj Bohora. The Kathmandu District Court has granted a five-day extension for police custody as the investigation continues.

Lawmakers from CPN-UML Propose Excluding Cooling-Off Period for Civil Service Appointments: CPN-UML lawmakers have proposed a bill that excludes the provision of a cooling-off period in civil service. National Assembly member Gopal Bhattarai, along with four other lawmakers, submitted an amendment to prevent applying a cooling-off period for government employees when appointed to new positions after retirement. CPN-UML lawmakers have proposed not to impose a cooling-off period immediately and suggested excluding the requirement that retirees must wait for a certain number of years before being reappointed. The proposal was developed through group discussions and is expected to undergo further deliberation in the committee stage.

10,867 Students Pass KMC Scholarship Exam, 4,499 to Receive Full Scholarships: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has announced that 10,867 out of 14,173 students have passed the scholarship exam for Grades 11 and 12. Of them, around 4,499 will receive full scholarships in private schools within the city. In the Science stream, 8,750 students passed, followed by 1,957 in Management, 135 in Law, 19 in Education, and 6 in Humanities. Scholarships will be granted based on school and subject preferences marked during application.

UML Central Committee Meeting Scheduled for Monday Morning: The Central Committee meeting of the CPN-UML is set to convene at 11 AM on Monday at the party’s central office in Chyasal. The meeting will deliberate on various agendas, including the proposal for statute amendment, organizational reporting, and preparations for the statute convention. The proposed amendments, previously endorsed by the Secretariat and Politburo meetings, will be a key focus of discussion during the Central Committee session starting Monday.

Syafrubesi–Rasuwagadhi Road Reopens 13 Days After Flood Damage: The Syafrubesi–Rasuwagadhi road, which was damaged by recent floods, has been reopened after 13 days. According to the Galchi–Trishuli–Mailung–Syafrubesi–Rasuwagadhi Road Project, the track was finally cleared following continuous efforts. After 11 days of intensive work, the road was made passable. Although the road remains narrow, one-way operation for all types of vehicles is now possible.

Share Market Sees Sharp Fluctuations on Sunday, Closes Near Previous Day’s Level: The share market experienced significant volatility on Sunday, the first day of the week. After closing at 2,870 points on the previous trading day, the market rose by 52 points to reach 2,922 at around 1 PM. However, selling pressure increased afterward, and the market ultimately closed at 2,870 points, the same level as the previous day. Without the adjustment for the weighted average price during the last 15 minutes, the market would have closed at 2,867 points, showing a drop of 2.87 points compared to the previous day. After this adjustment, the NEPSE index rose marginally by just 0.32 points compared to the previous day.

NRB Withdraws Rs 50 billion Liquidity from Banking System: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has withdrawn NPR 50 billion liquidity from the banking system. The central bank has already withdrawn around NPR 675 billion which banks have not been able to invest. The additional Rs 50 billion liquidity was withdrawn on Sunday. NRB plans to process liquidity through the deposit collection instrument called “Bolkabol” for 42 days to manage liquidity in the banking system.

Revenue Investigation Department’s VCTS System Faces Technical Issues: The Vehicle and Consignment Tracking System (VCTS) of the Revenue Investigation Department under the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office has experienced technical problems. Although maintenance work is ongoing, the department has requested printing transportation information on paper for goods movement today. The department mandates entering details of goods transported for commercial purposes in the VCTS system before moving goods from one place to another.

Federal Government’s Contingency Fund Shows a Deficit of Rs 205 billion: The federal government’s contingency fund has a deficit of Rs 20.5 billion. The deficit arose due to the government’s inability to balance revenue receipts and payments. Partial improvement was noted in fiscal year 2024/25, with a saving of Rs 2 billion in the fund. However, adjusting accounts from previous years still shows an overall deficit.

Nepal Insurance Authority to Introduce Risk-Based Premium Policy for Non-Life Insurance: Nepal Insurance Authority is set to introduce a policy for determining premiums based on risk for non-life insurance. The policy will charge higher premiums for higher risk and lower premiums for lower risk. It will also differentiate premiums for insurance of similar property based on geography, district, and province. Currently, premiums are based mainly on claim ratios and do not vary by geography despite differing risks.

Renowned Composer Nhyoo Bajracharya to Perform at This Month’s ‘Paleti’ Music Event: Renowned composer Nhyoo Bajracharya is set to perform at this month’s edition of the musical event ‘Paleti,’ organized by Nepalaya at its ‘R’ Shala venue on the last Friday of every English month. This month, the event will be held on Friday and Saturday, where Nhyoo will be accompanied by singer Banika Pradhan. This edition of ‘Paleti’ will be hosted by poet and lyricist Biplab Pratik, as informed by composer Aabhas, who coordinates the event. ‘Paleti’ is a musical program that began 20 years ago and continues to celebrate Nepali music and artists.

Nepal to Host Its First Horror Film Festival – ‘Kathmandu Horror Film Festival’: For the first time in Nepal, a horror, fantasy, and folklore film festival titled the ‘Kathmandu Horror Film Festival’ is set to take place. Director of the festival, Rasik Pathak, stated that the event will be held from October 31 to November 2 to coincide with the internationally celebrated occasion of Halloween. According to Pathak, such genres of films are rarely made in Nepal and are seldom available for audiences to watch. Therefore, the Nepal Film and Cultural Foundation is organizing the festival to promote and publicize these genres of films within the country.

New Song ‘Choryo Mayale’ Released with Lyrics and Music by Deepakraj Bishwakarma: The song titled ‘Choryo Mayale’—featuring lyrics and music by Deepakraj Bishwakarma—has been released. The vocals are by singer Narayan Gajmer and singer Shanti Sri Pariyar. The song centers around themes of love, romance, and betrayal. Its music video is also directed by Bishwakarma himself. The video features performances by Bishwakarma, along with models Ashma Bishwakarma and Biju Paki. The video has been edited by Dineson Shah and was released via singer Gajmer’s official YouTube channel, Narayan Gajmer.

APF Climbs to Sixth in ANFA U-16 Youth League After Defeating Himalayan Sherpa: The departmental team Nepal APF Club has moved up to sixth position in the ANFA U-16 Youth League standings. On Sunday, at the ANFA Complex in Satdobato, APF secured a 2–0 victory over Himalayan Sherpa Club. With the win, APF has collected 9 points from 6 matches. Himalayan Sherpa, after the defeat, sits in seventh place with 8 points from the same number of games. Pujan Dhakal and Adarsha Meche scored the goals that sealed the victory for APF.

Nepal U-23 Coach Calls Four Senior Players, Including Winger Ayush Ghalan, for Training Camp: Nepal U-23 team head coach Nabin Neupane has called four senior players, including winger Ayush Ghalan, for a closed training camp. The team will compete in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers in Tajikistan from September 3 to 9. Coach Neupane is currently training the squad at the ANFA Complex in Satdobato and plans to keep 32 players in the third phase of the camp. Alongside Ayush, midfielder Kritish Ratna Chhunju, defensive midfielder Santosh Khatri, and central defender Sumit Shrestha have also been called for training.

Nepal Drawn in Group ‘A’ with Bangladesh in SAFF U-17 Championship: Nepal has been placed in Group ‘A’ alongside former runners-up Bangladesh in the upcoming SAFF U-17 Championship. According to the draw made public by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) on Sunday, Group ‘A’ consists of Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The SAFF U-17 Championship will be held in Sri Lanka from October 17 to 27. Group ‘B’ includes defending champions India, along with Bhutan, Maldives, and Pakistan.

Israel Kills 38 Aid Seekers in Gaza as Israelis Demand Truce Deal: Israeli forces continue to pound Gaza, after killing at least 116 Palestinians on Saturday. The victims include 38 people killed near food aid sites in Rafah. Two more Palestinians, including a 35-day-old infant, have died of malnutrition at Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital, according to a doctor; a Muslim group in the United States accuses Israel of “forcibly” starving Palestinians in Gaza, “backed by billions in US taxpayer-supplied weapons and aid”. Tens of thousands of people have marched in Tel Aviv, urging US President Donald Trump to reach a deal to end the war.

At Least 37 Dead as Tourist Boat Capsizes in Vietnam: At least 37 people have died and several are still missing after a tourist boat capsized in Vietnam during bad weather. The incident took place in Ha Long Bay, a popular tourist destination in the north of the country. Most of the passengers were reportedly Vietnamese families visiting from the capital Hanoi. Heavy rain has been hindering the search for survivors, rescuers say, but so far 11 people have been pulled from the water alive.

Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Sent Russia Offer of New Peace Talks: Ukraine has proposed to hold a new round of peace talks with Russia next week after negotiations stalled last month. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Saturday that Defence Council secretary Rustem Umerov made the offer of a meeting with Russian negotiators for next week. “Everything should be done to achieve a ceasefire,” Zelenskyy said in his evening address to the nation. “The Russian side should stop hiding from decisions.”

At Least 14 Dead in South Korea Floods and Landslides: At least 14 people have died in floods and landslides caused by days of torrential rain in South Korea, the country’s disaster management office has said. There are fears the death toll could rise as rescue efforts continue, with 12 people reported missing. Footage showed people wading through thick mud in the landslide-hit resort town of Gapyeong on Sunday as they made their way across a damaged bridge to evacuation shelters. Further south, an entire village was covered with earth and debris following a landslide in the central Chungcheon region, according to video taken in the area on Saturday.